Lawn sprinkler and fountain



(N0 Mode 1.)

N. L; RIGBY.

LAWN SPRINKLER AND FOUNTAIN.

No. 644,122. Patented Aug. 6,1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS L. RIGBY,1OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIAQASSIGNOR TO H. FITCH, ENGLEWOOD, ILLINOIS.

LAWN SPRINKLER AND FOUNTAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 544,122, dated August 6, 1895.

Application filed October 1,1892. Serial No. 447,469. (No-model.)

.that after it has issued from the sprinkler it will fall in a spray or sprinkle over a circular space. r r

The object of my invention is to increase the-efficiency of such sprinklers by causing them to sprinkle more evenly the entire sur-' face within the circle which the sprinkler sprinkles.

Another object of my invention is cheapness and compactness and convenience of use.

My invention consists essentially in the combination of a short shell or nozzle, a thin disk or diaphragm arranged at the base of such shell and consistingin aseries of wings having between them a series of radial slots extending through such disk or diaphragm in a spiral manner, so that the stream passing through the sprinkler will be caused to gyrate and to assume a tubular form, so that'the impetus given the dilferent particles which constitute such stream is such that when the water has escaped from the mouth of the nozzle it will be spread evenly over the surface between the sprinkler and the circle sprinkled-thatis to say, the particles passing through the slots at the outer extremity will have a greater g'yratory impetus than that passing through the inner extremities of such slots and will be thrown to the outside of the circle, while that passing through'the inner ends of such slots will be thrown with less centrifugal force and will fall closer to the sprinkler, and that which passes through the intermediate portions of the slots will fall into the space intermediate of these two extremes.

My invention also embraces other features hereinafter more particularly specified and claimed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a fragmental perspective View of my improved sprinkler and fountain in position for operation. Fig. 2 is a vertical midsection of the upper portion of Fig. 1, showing the sprinkler in operation. Fig. 3 is a detail of the parts separated, showing another form of disk or diaphragm in perspective and also in side elevation. Fig. 4 is an axial mid section of a modification of my invention adapted for application to an ordinary female hose-coupling and attached to a hose. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the disk shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a sectional View of the same on line as m. Fig. 7 is a plain edge view of the same.

Ais the shell comprising a nozzle having a tapering discharge-orifice a.

B B is the radially-slotted transverse diaphragm or disk in which are the radial slots 58. O is the hub of such disk.

c c are wings constituting a part of the disk or diaphragm and radiating outward from the hub. These wings may be arranged spirally in order to give a greater gyratory direction to the stream. The disk should be as thin as possible consistent with the desired rigidity, so that the friction upon the stream will be very slight, and the slots should be of sufficient capacity to allow the escape of a stream large enough to supply the water for sprinkling the space within the circle over which the pressure of water will cause the spray to be distributed. Various forms for the disk may be employed. Two of these forms are shown, one in Fig.- 3 and one in Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7. The form of disk shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 consists of a central hub C from which radiate a series of spirally-arranged wings c. These disks may be formed by stamping. The other form of disk shown consists in a circular rim 1" and an inner intermediate plate 0', having a series of L-shaped slots S, respectively,having one member. .9 arranged radiating from the hub toward the rim and another member s arranged respectively parallel with the rim and close thereto. The inner intermediate portion 19 of the plate lying in the angle between the members s s of the slot is bent upward to form an oblique surface to receive the impact of the water and to give direction to the stream. The hub C C may or may not be provided with a perforation e or a series of perforations through which a central jet or jets maybe projected, as indicated in Fig. 2. In the drawings but one perforation is shown, as it requires no invention to duplicate same. The nozzle portion A may be permanently united with the transverse diaphragm or disk 13, and it may be united with or separate from the attachments F F, by which it is to be secured to the hose, as shown in Fig. 2. The shell A is provided withinits interior at the base of the discharge or nozzle with a seat f for the reception of the rim of the diaphragm and is provided below such diaphragm-seat with a seat f for the reception of a washer G, which is arranged to form a packing between the hose-connection nipple H and the nozzle or shell A A.

In Fig. 4 the shell and diaphragm are permanently united with each other and are secured to the hose by an annular connection F screwed upon the nipple II.

The shell or nozzle-piece A is provided with an exterior peripheral groove .I, adapted to receive the open spring-ring K, which forms the upper end of the standard L, which is adapted to be set in the ground to sustain the sprinkler and fountain.

In practice the nozzle is east of metal and finished in the ordinary manner of making nozzles or articles of like character, and the diaphragm is stamped from thin sheet-brass or other suitable material. The diaphragm is placed in position and theshell or nozzle is screwed upon the hose with the washer G interposed between, and the same is ready for operation. It may be held in the hand or it may be mounted upon a suitable stand.

In this class of sprinklers the nozzle is so short that when it is desired to introduce the sprinkler by hand into places not readily accessible-for instance, among the branches of roses or other bushes-the flexibility of the hose prevents the convenient use of the sprinkler. In order to provide a light and easily attachable and detachable device which will be rigid enough to serve as a standard to be set into the ground to support the nozzle, but which will be convenient to use as a handle, I provide a combined standard and handle L, which is formed of a spring-metal rod provided at its upper end with an open springring K formed integral with the rod, and which is sprung into the peripheral groove J, which is provided in the exteriorof the nozzle.

If it is desired to set the sprinkler in a stationary position for sprinkling the lawn or to serve as a fountain, the standard is set into the ground in the center of the spot to be sprinkled and the water is turned on. Then the operation is as follows: The water is directed by the spiral face of the diaphragm and a spiral motion is inducedin the stream of water, but the center or hub of the diaphragm obstructs the center of the stream, so that the water issues above the diaphragm in the form of a gyrating tubular stream. The rate of gyration of the particles at the periphery of the disk is greater than the particles of water at; the inside of such tubular stream, and the consequence of the entire action of the sprinkler upon the stream is to produce a discharge of Water which, as it is sues from the sprinkler, appears to be in a circular sheet, but which falls in an approximately even sprinkle from the center to the circumference of the circle over which the spray extends. At very low pressure, however, the water will be distributed in a circular sheet, which becomes broken up in proportion as the pressure is increased. The water passes through the central perforation e in the disk and arises in an ornamental jet, thus lending to the whole an ornamental appearance as a fountain.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to seen re by Letters Patent, is-

I. A lawn sprinkler comprising the combination of a short outwardly tapering shell or nozzle; a thin diaphragm arranged at the base of such nozzle and provided with a series of radial slots extending through such diaphragm and having the wings between such radial slots arranged spirally.

2. A lawn sprinkler comprising the combination of a short shell or nozzle provided in its base with a diaphragm seat and provided below such diaphragm seat with a seat for a washer; and a disk or diaphragm arranged in such diaphragm seat and provided with a series of oblique radial slots extending through such diaphragm. I

3. The combination of the shell or nozzle and the diaphragm seated at the base of the discharge of the nozzle and comprising the ring and the body portion provided with the L shaped slots having one member of the slots radial and the other member parallel with the rim, the intermediate portion 19 of such body portion being bent spirally as specified.

NICHOLAS L. RIGBY. Witnesses:

J AMES R. TOWNSEND, ALFRED I. TOWNSEND.

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